Oakland Raiders: Nine Players Who Must Play Big For Team To Succeed
By Kevin Saito
Oct 6, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders cornerback DJ Hayden (25) intercepts the pass intended for San Diego Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen (13) in the end zone during the fourth quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Oakland Raiders defeated the San Diego Chargers 27-17. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
DJ Hayden/Travis Carrie
By letting veteran corners Carlos Rogers and Tarell Brown walk away as free agents, McKenzie was signaling that he is a believer in his young corners. Of course, of the pair of veterans, only Brown played worth a lick – Rogers was out most of the season with an injury.
Opting to go with youth over pursuing a veteran, McKenzie has put all of the hopes of the Oakland secondary on the shoulders of two players who haven’t definitively proven that they can handle the load.
In Hayden’s case, he has not yet proven that he has the ability to stay healthy over the course of a season. Starting just ten games over his two year career to this point, Hayden has showed that missing so much time has really hampered his development. He has shown flashes of how good he can be, and how sharp his football instincts are, but he’s not yet developed that savvy an NFL corner needs.
In Carrie’s case, he too battled some injury issues his rookie season, but when he was on the field, he also showed flashes of how good he can be – which was surprising given the fact that he was a seventh round pick in the 2014 draft. But he worked his way off of the special teams unit, where his speed was an asset, and into the starting lineup.
Both Hayden and Carrie have shown that they can be good. With some seasoning, they can even perhaps, be great. But McKenzie is risking a lot on players who still need that seasoning.
Of course, solid play by Oakland’s defensive front can help mask any of their deficiencies, but it can only mask them to a point. Hayden and Carrie still need to prove that they can make plays in the defensive backfield.
They have the ability, but given their lack of experience, can they put it all together? McKenzie seems to believe so. And Raiders fans are certainly hoping he’s correct.